Penguins Room: Crosby, Malkin Answer for Loss; ‘Nervous’ on Power Play
TAMPA, Fla — The Pittsburgh Penguins power play whiffed on 34 consecutive power plays in the last two games registering precious few shots while filling opponents with breakaways and 0dd-man rush chances.
Three straight lackluster losses in which the team has questioned its own energy and compete level culminated in another thud Wednesday night at the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Penguins 3-1 at Amalie Arena.
Don’t let the score fool you. The Penguins were never actually in the game.
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Kris Letang sat in his locker stall, crushed by the result and the state of the team. Eventually, he spoke with reporters for a few minutes, nodding agreement that his team was lifeless.
The Penguins are searching for answers but finding only more questions and more disappointment. The team has not been this despondent since the fall of 2018, when long winless streaks buttressed a short winning streak, and former GM Jim Rutherford made a shakeup trade by sending Carl Hagelin to the LA Kings for Tanner Pearson.
This is perhaps worse because that team was one year removed from being the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion. This team was set up as an All-Star team with one more shot at the big prize but is thus far shocked or confused as to why none of it is coming together.
The tension and crushing disappointment are palpable inside the Penguins locker room. This loss felt like a thundering gut punch just before a knockout.
Pittsburgh Penguins Locker Room
Evgeni Malkin
Nervous? The Penguins’ power play has become so shaky and unsure of itself that Malkin said the unit gets nervous.
“You see Tampa score (a power play goal) every game, and they feel confidence. When you lead the game you control the game, you feel so much better, you know,” Malkin said. “…You have like three, four, five power plays every night. You see when we try power play, we not feel good [sic]. We lose the at the blue line, (give up) two on ones, breakaways because we do not have confidence. We’re nervous, and that’s how it impacts us.”
Sidney Crosby
The Penguins captain tried to hold to the positive. The Penguins were overpassing, especially during the first period. Coach Mike Sullivan chided his team for “looking for that next play” instead of shooting on Monday night after the Flyers loss. The team’s re-emerging bad habit roared on Wednesday as the team had only four shots on goal in the first period despite adequate puck possession in the offensive zone.
It was a rough night, even though Crosby earned an assist and Jake Guentzel scored — they did so in the final minute after the game was decided. Crosby didn’t think the Penguins were being too cute, but got put on their heels by a few Tampa Bay power plays.
Mike Sullivan
The coach didn’t waste much time in the makeshift media room in the bowels of Amalie Arena. A couple of one-word answers said plenty.
Sullivan was seething, though his tone also conveyed softened dejection. It seems everything is going wrong, and none of the changes have helped. In fact, the power play is getting worse.
The Penguins’ confidence has hit rock bottom, even as the coach denied this was the most disappointing loss of the season. Perhaps the raw video is best viewed to get your own sense of the coach’s emotions.
If they know the problem is not shooting why are they not shooting then. Are they stupid or something.
Nervous??? Very poor excuse. How bout all the giveaways, how bout over passing, how bout too many shots miss the net or are blocked, how bout no net front presence, how bout entering the zone problems and how bout lack of effort!! All that makes me nervous!!
Imagine 4 future hall of famers in their mid to late 30’s being”nervous” on the PowerPlay. 🤦♂️
Did HCMS admit the players aren’t listening to the coaches?? If so what does Dubas do? Replace the coaching staff or shake up the roster? Maybe both?? They should have brought back Tocchet when the had the chance
Spot on Jason, Tocchet is what we needed, both him and Alvin and Rutherford together have Vancouver on the upswing! Bringing in Zadorov to add grit on back end another great move. These guys know how to evaluate a team without bias and move to fix the weaknesses. They also know that you need both youth and grit to go along with skill!
couldn’t agree more; its safe to say they are going through the motions with sully his schemes other teams know exactly what the pens like to do they haven’t changed their predictable powerplay in ages. Team is old and slow and are beyond guilty of overpassing and turnovers leading to goals the other way. also the pens only have 2 lines that can score.
Sully MUST GO!!! I think he has too much power in personnel decisions and that is why Rutherford left. He forgot what made him successful(playing young guys over vets-Murray over Fleury, Shaery, Rust, Dumo, Maatta, etc) Now he overplays the vets at the expense of developing young players, many of whom move on and have success elsewhere(ERod, Sprong, Noesen, Lafferty, Bjugstad, Gaudreau, McCann, Tanev, Poehling, etc.) He also forgot the importance of grit(Hornqvist, Cole) as he did not like physical defensmen such as Oleksiak, Gudbranson and Cole as well as forwards such as Reaves, Tanev and Lafferty. Also his continued… Read more »
Spot on Mel!
team is obviously pressing every night because they are beyond micro-managed by this stressed out coaching staff which instills insecurity rather than security
Here’s a simple solution to this power play fiasco. Don’t have one. Stop practicing it. Just send out the next freaking line that have been playing with each other the whole season. Too many chefs spoil a good soup. Too many superstars spoil a good power play.